Details

Formerly known as: Church of St Mary CASTLEGATE.
Parish church, now exhibition centre. C15, incorporating
remnants of early C11 nave, north arcades of C12 and C14, and
south arcade of early C13. Restoration of 1867-70 included new
east window, re-roofing and renewal of east end parapet.
Church redundant in 1958; converted to exhibition centre
1974-75. C19 restoration by William Butterfield. C20
conversion by George Pace and Ronald Sims.
MATERIALS: magnesian limestone incorporating re-used
gritstone; roofs of slate and lead.
EXTERIOR: chancel and north and south chapels; 3-bay nave with
low clerestory, and 4-bay north and south aisles; embraced
west tower and spire. Clerestory obscured by parapet,
embattled at east end and on south side, plain elsewhere.
Church is supported on all sides by buttresses with offsets,
most with gabled pinnacles and gargoyles. Chancel and chapels
on single chamfered plinth, remainder of church and tower on
double chamfered plinth. Windows generally have hoodmoulds on
corbel or head stops.
Renewed east window is pointed, of 3 stepped cinquefoiled
lights beneath panel traceried head. East window of north
chapel is pointed, of 3 cinquefoiled lights beneath two tiers
of panel tracery with embattled transoms. Sill band below east
window stepped down beneath north chapel window. South chapel
is set back and has pointed east window of 3 lights, now
altered to doorway.
On north side, easternmost bay has inserted pointed arched
doorway; towards west end is blocked C14 doorway with
2-centred moulded arch; both doors beneath square-headed
windows. Windows generally are square-headed, of 2 or 3
trefoiled or cinquefoiled ogee-arched lights beneath embattled
transoms and panel tracery. Towards the east end is reset
square-headed C14 window of 4 trefoiled lights with cusped
curvilinear tracery. Western window beneath tower is pointed,
of 3 foiled ogee-arched lights beneath two tiers of panel
tracery. Moulded string, stepped in places, runs beneath
windows.
C19 south door in pointed arch of two orders, the inner
chamfered, the outer roll-moulded and springing from carved
corbels; square-headed window above. To west of door, length
of C13 masonry incorporating original lancet survives. Below,
and to west of, chancel south window is blocked segment-arched
doorway. Elsewhere windows correspond to those on north side.
3-stage tower has square ground stage, surmounted by embattled
parapet and walkway; second and belfry stages are octagonal,
with broaches at the base, from which tapering buttresses with
gargoyles rise above plain parapet to crocketed pinnacles;
recessed spire is octagonal. Pointed west window has 5
cinquefoiled lights beneath double tier of panel tracery with
embattled transoms. On each side of window is a carved corbel
beneath trefoiled ogee-arched canopy, rib-vaulted on the
underside, and surmounted by a crocket. Above the window is a
vaulted niche, with trefoiled arch and steep crocketed canopy,
housing a defaced figure of the Virgin Mary seated behind a
balustrade. At west end of north aisle is doorway in 4-centred
moulded arch, to south of low window of 5 foiled lights, 3
round-headed, 2 lancets. Above is a pointed window of 3
trefoiled round-headed lights beneath panel traceried head
broken by encircled quatrefoil. Windows to west end of south
aisle and south face of tower are of the same type. Upper
stages of tower have tall similar windows, partly louvred and
banded with panel tracery at belfry level, to three cardinal
faces: the fourth, to east, has intersecting tracery in the
head. Tall spire is crowned by gilded weathercock.
INTERIOR: chancel. 3-bay north arcade, with eastern arch of 2
chamfered orders on half-octagonal responds with moulded
capitals and chamfered bases: narrow centre arch, continuously
moulded, beneath crocketed hoodmould on headstops: 4-centred
western arch of 2 chamfered orders on chamfered responds, with
square capitals, coved on lower side, and later, moulded
capitals superimposed. 2-bay south arcade, with eastern arch
of continuous rolled and filleted mouldings beneath crocketed
ogee hood: wide, double chamfered western arch on
half-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases.
Double chamfered chancel arch, inner order only with moulded
capitals, outer continuous, beneath coved hoodmould on
headstops. Flanking walls retain masonry of original church.
Nave north arcade of three double chamfered arches beneath
continuous hoodmould on animal headstops. Eastern arches are
tall and pointed on half-cylindrical respond with moulded base
and scalloped capital, and cylindrical piers with square
abaci, one with scalloped capital, one with incised waterleaf.
Western arch dies into octagonal tower pier on chamfered base,
broach-stopped on to square plinth.
South arcade of three double chamfered arches, two pointed,
one semicircular, beneath continuous hoodmould on headstops.
Half cylindrical east respond with moulded base and
half-octagonal capital.
First pier is octagonal, on moulded base, with octagonal
capital; second pier cylindrical with double roll-moulded base
on square plinth, and nailhead capital. Tower pier to west
corresponds to that opposite. South aisle arch narrow,
pointed, double chamfered,on responds with simple moulded
capitals.
Clerestory on both sides has 1-light window towards east end,
and another of 3 cinquefoiled lights over the second pier.
Tower arches of 2 hollow-chamfered orders dying into piers,
south arch narrower than north arch. Western responds are
half-octagonal with chamfered bases, broach-stopped on to
square plinths. To north of west window, pointed chamfered
doorway to tower stair. At west end of north aisle, former
chapel doorway has 2-centred arch in deep hollow-chamfered
surround.
In chancel south wall, C19 piscina and restored sedilia of 3
stalls beneath cinquefoiled ogee-arched heads. In north chapel
(now in staff lavatory), piscina in 2-centred arch with
defaced cusping: arched tomb recess with filleted roll
moulding (in staff room). In south chapel, aumbry in rebated
surround, and piscina in trefoiled ogee arch; on east wall, 2
half-octagonal brackets with carved angels, each bearing
heraldic shield of arms of the Graa family. In north aisle,
three arched tomb recesses and plain round-headed stoup
without bowl. Blocked chamfered north doorway with segmental
head. In south aisle, rebated aumbry and piscina in 2-centred,
hollow-chamfered arch. Beside south door, hollow niche for
stoup, without bowl, in arched opening.
Roofs. Chancel: principal rafter trusses with moulded and
embattled, cambered ties on corbelheads, with pierced
spandrels and panel-traceried tympana. Chancel north chapel
and nave: king post trusses with moulded and embattled,
cambered tie beams on moulded corbels, with pierced spandrels
and cusped braces.
Mutilated stone, c1000, discovered during restoration of 1870
and now attached to east respond of north aisle arcade,
records the dedication of the church "in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ and of St Mary and St Martin and of St Cuthbert
and of all the saints".
MONUMENTS: south chapel - two wall tablets moved from North
Chapel: Lewis West (d.1718) and wife Dorcas (d.1732); Richard
Coulton (d.1713), Rector, and wife Elizabeth (d.1731). Also to
Elizabeth Tweedy (d.1811), and husband John (d.1842).
North aisle - tablet to William Mushet, MD, (d.1792), by
Fisher of York; also to Rawlins Gould (d.1873).
South aisle - William Mason (d.1708) and wife, Jane.
(City of York: RCHME: The Central Area: HMSO: 1981-: 30-36).

Listing NGR: SE6043851626

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

463016

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journalsAn Inventory of the City of York V Central, (1981), 30-36

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

End of official listing

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